Family of Me
by Le Kung Fu Dude
Summary: I felt as if someone had just performed some kind of Kung Fu technique at me – all the air was knocked out of my lungs right then and there. I didn't know what to say, honestly. All I had – all I had ever had – was Shifu. But just as this thought passed through my mind, I realized something; if Shifu hadn't told me, I wouldn't have thought that.


**A/N:** Hi dear reader! Before you continue onto the story itself, please note this: the sole purpose of this story is to make Peng, the Character of the Day from _Kung Fu Kid_ of _Legends of Awesomeness_, and his entire existence make at least a little bit of sense. I also wanted to write a cute little one-shot about Shifu and Tai Lung's father-son-relationsip. :3

I tried to come up with it, so here's my take on how Peng would know about Tai Lung and the other way around. Now that you've read this A/N, enjoy! :D

* * *

I clenched my fist and jumped forwards with a loud growl. Satisfyingly I felt how the Gauntlet of Wooden Warrior gave in under my fist as I smashed it against it. Soon the wooden construction fell to pieces, raining onto the floor.

A lot of the Gauntlet's main body was still left, but I easily took care of that. I jumped into the air, stretched out my right leg and destroyed it with a drop kick.

"Very good," Shifu said calmly. As I caught my breath, I looked around at all the Gauntlets I had destroyed during today's training session. It wasn't because I really wanted to do it or did it on purpose…

But rather… It was almost as if the Gauntlets were too soft for me to train without destroying them. Besides, I hadn't been able to destroy them until recently.

"But it seems we will need some new Gauntlets," Shifu said, sending me a faint smile. "Dismissed."

I smiled back at Shifu and together we exited the Training Hall. I took a deep breath as I exited the smelly and sweaty atmosphere of the Training Hall and got outside. The fresh air was just what I needed; I breathing it all the way down into my lungs, then released it again.

"I'll go get cleaned up, Master," I said and headed for the barracks. Shifu simply nodded and headed for the Hall of Warriors himself. Before long I was taking a bath in the barracks' bathroom – even despite how little I liked it.

But nonetheless, it did feel nice to get a cool down, I'd admit that. But I did get the bath over with as fast as possible. Soon I had put on a clean outfit and headed for the Hall of Warriors to see what Shifu was doing.

Entering the Hall of Warriors, I found Shifu standing in front of the Moon Pool. It seemed that Master Oogway still hadn't returned from his errand yet. I didn't know what the old Master had gone off to do, but Shifu had told me that whatever it was, it would be for the better of someone.

I slowly made my way up to my Master. I walked up next to him and saw that all he was doing was staring into the water of the Moon Pool. I stared at the water as well for a few seconds, then looked at Shifu.

Without looking at me, he suddenly said, "Tai Lung… there's something I've wanted to talk to you about for a while."

"Eh… Yes?" I asked. I immediately felt a strange sensation in my stomach – my intuition told me that this was something serious. Perhaps it would be something bad? Was it perhaps something I had done? I didn't know what it was, but I already felt myself get nervous.

"You… You know how you've grown up here," Shifu said calmly, still looking at the water. I immediately felt even more nervous than I had seconds ago. I silently nodded. "But I have never… told you how you came here…"

"What do you mean?" I asked, almost whispering, a little afraid of hearing the answer. I had rarely heard Shifu speak with this tone – a sad tone – and each time I had, it was painful.

"You weren't born here." Shifu turned to me and now I saw how his eyes were getting watery. Now I was truly afraid of what might come. Shifu then led me down to one of the steps that led up to the pool and sat down. I of course did the same.

"One night, shortly after I became a Master, I found you at the doorstep," Shifu explained. It was weird to hear, to say the least. It was the first time Shifu had ever told me this… I had never wondered about how I came to the Jade Palace – never questioned it – so why did he suddenly tell me now? I asked him.

"It has just bothered me," Shifu said. "I wanted you to know… the truth."

"But what if I didn't want to know?" I asked him. At first Shifu didn't answer, but simply looked at the floor. But when he finally did say something, it shocked me.

"Your family sent me a letter," Shifu said and I felt how my heart skipped a beat. "They want to meet you."

I felt as if someone had just performed some kind of Kung Fu technique at me – all the air was knocked out of my lungs right then and there. I didn't know what to say, honestly.

"I… I…"

"You don't have to decide now," Shifu said and got up. I did as well. But before my Master could leave, I quickly hugged him. I didn't feel a need to know who my family was; Shifu was the only father figure I needed.

But when I eventually went to bed that day, the questions rushed through my mind. I usually had an easy time sleeping, but… this night, I couldn't. The things Shifu had told me… My mind was simply too troubled to sleep. I just laid there and stared at the ceiling.

My family…? What family – the family that had abandoned me? Why would they even want to see me? As soon as Shifu had told me that he simply 'found' me, I had figured that my so-called family hadn't wanted anything to do with me.

I mean, why else would they abandon me? Wouldn't that be because I was unwanted? Because they didn't want me? I couldn't see any other reasons for it.

But did I want to see them again? After they just left me like another parcel? I couldn't quite make up my mind; ninety-nine percent of me said no, but there was still that one percent that said yes. It was mainly because Shifu had decided to tell me.

If he hadn't, I probably wouldn't have known, or even cared. What kind of thing was that to tell a fifteen year-old anyway? But now that I knew, I felt myself growing curious on the matter.

That one part of me felt curious about it in a way that the remaining ninety-nine percent didn't like. I couldn't even imagine what it'd be like to see my family either; it wasn't like I'd recognize them or anything.

I turned to lie on my right side, staring at the wall for a moment. I didn't know what to tell Shifu in the morning. I was afraid; afraid of meeting them – afraid that it'd simply hurt too much.

But at the same time… If I did meet them… Was this a way for them to say that they regret ever leaving me at the palace? Did it mean that they wanted me to come and live with them again?

I turned around to lie on my left side. Also, how could they be so certain that I was who they thought I was? Well, of course I was certain that a child being left at the Jade Palace wasn't a regular thing – with the exception of Shifu – but how could they know that I was still at the palace?

Finally I turned to lie on my back once more. I sighed to myself. I didn't know what to say to Shifu still. It was as if he wanted me to meet them… but was that what I wanted too?

Of course, I would do anything to make Shifu happy… But this? I stretched my arms to the point where my elbow-joints made a popping noise. Finally I felt sleep overtake me. Finally I knew what to tell Shifu.

* * *

"Master, I have decided," I told Shifu as we exited the barracks. We had just eaten breakfast, which had been a rather quiet event – even quieter than usual. As I told him, Shifu's eyes suddenly lit up – as if he'd waited all night and morning for me to make up my mind.

I nervously smiled at him for a moment, then changed to a more straight face. "I… have decided that…" I looked away for a moment. "I… don't want to meet them."

Shifu's ears perked up and a very surprised expression showed on his face. He stared at me for a moment, then I continued. "I… I don't want it to change."

"What?" Shifu asked confused.

"My life," I told him. "My life is perfect as is; I have you – you're all the family I need."

Shifu's confused expression was then replaced with a smile. "I'm glad you've decided… But are you really sure? They really wanted to see you."

I nodded. "I can't live a normal life if I were to feel split between the family that disowned me and you."

Shifu put his arms behind his back and stopped. "They didn't disown you; they simply wanted you to be better off."

"What do you mean?"

"They left you here because they wanted you to have better chances than you might have had," Shifu explained. This completely changed everything. I had thought that they didn't want to take care of me – that I was simply a nuisance – but now this? "Your parents were young – too young to take care of you – therefore they left you here."

"So… it wasn't because they… didn't want me?" I asked, my voice trailing off as I felt how my eyes got watery. I did my best to hold back – I didn't want to cry. "I thought…"

But then I wasn't able to contain myself and simply lost. As the tears started streaming down my cheeks, Shifu took a hold of me, hugging me as I let it all out. I didn't remember something like this ever happening before… But nonetheless, it wasn't quite the nicest feeling in the world.

"It's alright," Shifu said calmly as he held me tight. "I understand… I will tell them."

Finally Shifu pulled back to look at me. I had stopped crying, but my eyes were still watery. I don't think I had ever felt more unwanted than when Shifu had told me about my family… If he hadn't, I wouldn't have been here, crying.

All I had – all I had ever had – was Shifu. But just as this thought passed through my mind, I realized something; if Shifu hadn't told me, I wouldn't have thought that. It seemed that now I appreciated him more, somehow.

"I'm sorry, Tai Lung," Shifu started, but I caught him in a hug once more.

"Don't be," I said and that was all that I had to say. Shifu eventually hugged me back and for a moment I realized just how perfect my life was.

* * *

**A/N:** And so, there you go! ^-^ I also want to add that I supposed that Tai Lung was just like the Furious Five before and after him, therefore he'd be quite 'known' around China perhaps. But other than that, this brings this one-shot to a close. I hope you liked it. :)


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